The B.S.B.A. in Management degree program is offered on campus in Warrensburg. You may complete all four years of the program there.
We also offer a B.S.B.A. completion program for the last 46 hours of the degree at the UCM Summit Center in Lee's Summit. For more information about this program, email cwright@ucmo.edu.

What are the unique aspects of UCM's program that set it apart from the competition?

UCM has highly qualified faculty with doctoral degrees and real business experience. Additionally, UCM offers students the unique opportunity of the Integrative Business Experience where they can gain hands-on experience starting their own business while giving back to the community.

UCM's degree programs are AACSB accredited; UCM is one of only five schools have this accreditation in the Kansas City area.
UCM's faculty are very committed to working with students to ensure their success. Read more about our professors, their areas of interests and how they can help students both in and outside of the classroom.

What does team-based learning mean and why is it important?

Our department is firmly committed to preparing students to work effectively in team-oriented work environments through classroom experiences and teams such as Enactus. In our classes, the majority of team assignments and projects completed during class time require teams to solve real-world problems and enable students to experience the consequences of their decisions. Many of the assignments and projects require students to create and work in real businesses or nonprofit organizations. Read more about team-based learning.

May I take courses whenever I like, or is there a specified or recommended order?

As you might imagine, many courses have prerequisites. There is a four-year course plan for the management major. While you are not required to follow this plan exactly, it is a good example to start with. During your freshman year, it would be advisable for you to write your own four-year plan and take it to your academic advisor in the HCBPS Office in Ward Edwards 1600. You may schedule an appointment by calling 660-543-8577.

Is there anything else I should know about selecting courses and admission to the B.S.B.A.?

Here are some other important things you should know about your program:

All B.S.B.A. majors in the management department must complete the B.S.B.A. preadmission courses with a grade of "C" or higher, and must have a 2.25 GPA overall, as well as a passing score on the general education assessment before admission to their major. A 2.25 GPA on all coursework is required for graduation.

You must apply for admission to the B.S.B.A. during your sophomore year. You can do this online.

All B.S.B.A. in Management majors and B.S.B.A. in Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise majors are required to enroll in the IBE block.

You are strongly encouraged to use electives for an internship. Visit the Business Internship Office in WDE 1600 for more information.

A series of general education courses are also required to complete your major. The courses that meet these requirements are listed in the course catalog. Some general education courses are required by the BSBA majors and others may be chosen within categories.

Why should I have an internship while I'm in college?

Having an internship not only gives you a chance to earn college credit (one to six hours), but you can also earn money at the same time. You receive valuable work experience and can apply what you’ve learned in class. Internships allow you to explore possible career fields to learn what you might like to do after you graduate. Many interns receive permanent job offers from the firms with which they intern. The hands-on experience you get from an internship makes you highly competitive when you enter the job market because as many as 70 percent of employers now require new employees to have had an internship.

Am I eligible for an internship, and when should I start the process?

As a business major, you must have completed at least 60 credit hours and have at least a 2.5 GPA to be eligible for an internship. You must sign up with the HCBPS Center for Business Internships in Ward Edwards 1600. You will need to fill in an application and discuss your internship plans with the center staff. If you meet the requirements, your application will be approved, and you will be given assistance in finding an internship in the field and location that you want.

Do any majors in the department require internships?
Yes, Hotel and Restaurant Administration majors are required to complete two internships. The first one is three credits and may be taken during your sophomore or junior year. The second internship is for five credits and may be taken during your junior or senior year. Many students in this major choose to fulfill their internship requirements during the summer between their sophomore and junior year and again during the summer between their junior and senior year. However, internship requirements may also be met during the regular academic year. All internship opportunities are coordinated through the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies Internship Office in Ward Edwards 1600. Students may also work with faculty in their discipline to find internship opportunities or find their own opportunities.

Because it has a different GPA requirement for graduation, students in the Hotel and Restaurant Administration major must have a 2.0 GPA or higher before they can fulfill this internship requirement.

Why is there such a big focus on writing and presentations in the departmental majors?

Communication skills are vital to your success. For instance, when two job candidates appear to have equal skills, employers will hire the candidate with the better communication skills. To be a successful manager, you must develop excellent written and oral communication skills. Frequently, employers report that the communication skill set, including writing and presenting, is vital to job placement, career promotion and organizational success.

As a management major, you will be developing your professional communication skill set by successfully completing two communication courses. In these courses, you will have opportunities to build and strengthen your professional communication skills.

What is IBE?

IBE is a unique experiential learning program. In the program, you will:

Take a four-course block in Management, Marketing and MIS with a practicum.

Create and manage a start-up company with a real business loan.

Create and manage a community service project.

Learn from the experience of applying key business concepts and analytical tools to solve a wide range of unstructured, real problems.

Develop a clear "big-picture" understanding of business operations on an ongoing basis. Use concepts and tools from the core courses to guide your decisions in the business and service organizations.

What is the average class size within your department? Are the classes more lecture-based or interactive?

All management department classes are interactive in nature. The department uses a team-based experiential learning approach. Class size varies depending on the level of interaction. Some classes have as few as 15 students, but the average size is 30 students. However, we use the content and level of interaction to guide our class size limits.

What can I do with this major?

There is a wealth of career opportunities for students who graduate from UCM's Department of Management. Overall, UCM students enjoy a 90 percent employment rate six months after graduation.

Should I be involved in any professional organizations, clubs or teams while I am a student at UCM?

UCM has many clubs and organizations. In addition, there are numerous professional organizations with monthly meetings throughout Missouri. We strongly encourage students to join and take an active role in such organizations, clubs and teams. The two most popular activities for Management majors are Students in Free Enterprise and DECA.

Enactus is open to any UCM student, regardless of major. The Enactus team coordinates their activities with IBE, DECA and other management courses. This past spring the students announced that their goals will be to work toward six major judging criteria, including market economics, financial literacy, environmental sustainability, success skills, business ethics and entrepreneurship.

Each semester, Enactus helps initiate and coordinate new and exciting projects to change lives on campus and in the community. Enactus also gives students the chance to travel to regional, national, and international competitions to present their projects, to network with industry and student leaders, to participate in training seminars, and to attend career fairs. If you are interested in joining, contact Keith Province or Scott Smith.

Delta Epsilon Chi, the college division of DECA, is the newest addition to UCM's business student organizations. The Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies at UCM now hosts the largest collegiate DECA chapter in Missouri and draws members from all business majors and beyond the college. DECA can make the transition from high school to college easier, and UCM DECA offers a wide variety of career development activities to complement the classroom experience. Through national and international conferences and competitions, networking, professional development opportunities, working with other campus organizations on common projects, and community service, Delta Epsilon Chi members develop specific skills and competencies needed to become successful leaders in business.

Anyone interested in either joining the UCM DECA chapter, or in working with UCM DECA as a career mentor, a competition judge, a sponsor, or in any other capacity, should contact Matt Houseworth or Mark Hillon.